match anxiety

[EUA]

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i've been reading along for a while now and what i see here really helps answer a lot of questions i have about this whole process.
i've got a doozy though nd i'd like to hear your thoughts on it. it's technically a match violation to explicitly ask or tell programs/candidates (depending on which side of the fence you're on) where you plan to rank them, right? so what's appropriate to say when an attending corners you and directly asks, "so, youre still planning on ranking us #1, right?" at which point i get totally (and probably very obviously) flustered and stammer something of the YES SIR vairiety out. then he goes, "well, I hope it all works out" whatever THAT is supposed to mean. and then he walks off, leaving me baffled. i'm going to have a stress ulcer before this is all over.

 

[stormjen]

My opinion? Programs can get away with stuff like that when it's not the PD or chair directly doing the violation. If an attending who interviews you does it, of course they can take the information they gather back to the committee, but can you accuse the program itself of making the match violation? The PD, if accused, can blame it on someone who doesn't know what is and isn't acceptable. Us, on the other hand, we're the only ones rooting for our team. If we screw up, the whole team screws up.

 

[jeff2005]

so what's appropriate to say when an attending corners you and directly asks, "so, youre still planning on ranking us #1, right?" at which point i get totally (and probably very obviously) flustered and stammer something of the YES SIR vairiety out. then he goes, "well, I hope it all works out" whatever THAT is supposed to mean. and then he walks off, leaving me baffled. i'm going to have a stress ulcer before this is all over.

That's not cool. He can go fart on himself.

 

[EUA]

That's not cool. He can go fart on himself.

dude, i could totally fart on him i was so irritated. i can fart on command, and dammit, im not afraid to do so.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

i was talking about the match tonight with people who were not in the medical profession. after hearing my description of how the match works, they concluded that the match is an extremely stupid GAME!

this game is teh sux0rz! i hate it! i hate it! it hates me and it wants me to die!

 

[cytoborg]

i've been reading along for a while now and what i see here really helps answer a lot of questions i have about this whole process.
i've got a doozy though nd i'd like to hear your thoughts on it. it's technically a match violation to explicitly ask or tell programs/candidates (depending on which side of the fence you're on) where you plan to rank them, right? so what's appropriate to say when an attending corners you and directly asks, "so, youre still planning on ranking us #1, right?" at which point i get totally (and probably very obviously) flustered and stammer something of the YES SIR vairiety out. then he goes, "well, I hope it all works out" whatever THAT is supposed to mean. and then he walks off, leaving me baffled. i'm going to have a stress ulcer before this is all over.

It is NOT a match violation to tell the other party how you are ranking them. This seems to be a common misconception. However it IS against match rules to ASK the other party. So yes, when the PD asked you whether you're ranking them #1, that was without a doubt a match violation. Sounds like it was a very uncomfortable situation. I hope you are planning to rank them #1, otherwise they may be angry with you if they've ranked you to match and you don't match there. It probably would have been better to hold your ground and say something non-committal (unless you ARE ranking them #1 in which case it's good to say so - still doesn't change the PD's match violation, though).

I got cornered by a faculty member in a similar manner. He said, "You're ranking us #1, right?" I laughed and said jokingly (but not joking), "You know I'm not allowed to tell you that!" He started going down the list, "Two? Three? Four? Five?" I just insisted, "I can't tell you!" But then I fessed up and said "No, I'm actually not" (ranking them #1). He jokingly gave me a hard time for not wanting to stay. The whole exchange was semi-serious and he's not even part of the committee, and we've been friends prior to the application process, so I didn't feel in any way threatened/pressured. Others in the department know I'm leaving, so it's not a secret.

 

[EUA]

i was massively uncomfortable even though they ARE my#1 choice and they have known this for months and months. i've never once lied about it or skirted the issue. the attendings and reisdents have all said they want me, but i think they got a lot more applicatins than expected and this worries me, having put all the eggs in this basket, i f you will. i hate trying to read between all the lines. maybe i'm just paranoid. when the attending says he hopes it all works out, i'm over analyzing and freaking out and instead of hearing what might be a normal statement i hear i hope you don't mind doing that crappy medicine internship at the county hosptial next year!

and yes, any non-medical people who have the patience to listen to me explain the whole match thing are appropriately befuddled. it is a goofy system and a stupid game indeed. i've never been so stressed out before, like taking an mcat and applying and interviewing and then boards and all that garbage were nothing compared to this. i really should have gone and gotten a script for xanax before this all even started.

 

[yaah]

Is this attending on the selection committee? It is a tough situation, I agree. But you know what? You have done all you can. I am not going to tell you to stop worrying because I could never really do that myself. I was kind of in a situation where I was going to be happy with either of my #1 or #2, and #2 told me I would match there, so it was a win-win situation. But still, I was a bit anxious because I just WANTED to know.

 

[jeff2005]

i was massively uncomfortable even though they ARE my#1 choice and they have known this for months and months. i've never once lied about it or skirted the issue. the attendings and reisdents have all said they want me, but i think they got a lot more applicatins than expected and this worries me, having put all the eggs in this basket, i f you will. i hate trying to read between all the lines. maybe i'm just paranoid. when the attending says he hopes it all works out, i'm over analyzing and freaking out and instead of hearing what might be a normal statement i hear i hope you don't mind doing that crappy medicine internship at the county hosptial next year!

If you're afraid that there was some misunderstanding, maybe you should go talk to him. Just pop in his office to say hello and make it clear that you do really want to go there.